Log turner



Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,445

R. M. PEAVER LOG TURNER Filed June 22, 1926 3 S ea s-Sheet l I JO Ye q; k c

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R. M. PEAVER LOG TURNER Aug. 7,- 1928.

Filed June 22. 1926 M. PEAVER LOG TURNER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 mgil umwlg Q V RMPeW-W Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES- ROIL M. PEAVER, OF GLENDO, WYOMING.

LOG TURNER.

Applieatipn filed June 22,

This invention relates to saw mills and more particularly to an improvement in the log handling mechanism of the mill.

An important object of the invention is to provide a substitute for the nigger head ordinarily employed for turning logs upon the carriage of such character that it will not damage the logs to the extent that they are damaged by the nigger head and at the same time will provide an efiicient means for turning the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which, in addition to its function as a log turning device, likewise serves the function of shifting the log to the carriage from the skidway.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is normally concealed between the skids of the skidway of such constructipn that the operating mechanism, when power is applied thereto, first swings through an arc until it comes into engagement with the log and then ceases its swinging motion and serves to rotate the log. y

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will follow the log if the log shifts in the direction of the table.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a saw mill embodying a log turner constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the log turner illustrating the manner in which the log turner engages the logs to place them in position upon the bed;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the :log turner, a portion being broken away;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the log turner with portions'broken'away to show the in ,terior construction;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the head block of a saw mill carriage and 11 a knee of the carriage having the usual means for securing a log to the car- 1926. Serial No. 117,805.

riage While sawing a section therefrom. 12 designates a skidway for delivering logs to the carriage.

In accordance with my invention, I arrange beneath the skidway a pair of parallel stringers 13 extendinglongitudinally of the skidway and connected by transversely extending braces 14. Between theends of the stringers 13 adjacent the carriage and in bearings 15 carried by the stringers, I mount a shaft 16 upon which the log turner 17 is pivoted, in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

At points spaced from the carriage ends of the stringers, a second shaft 17 is mounted in bearings 18. This second shaft has opposed friction cones 19, 19 secured thereto with which coact a friction drive cone 20 mounted upon the end of a shaft 21 preferably driven from the drive shaft 22 of the saw by a belt 23. The shaft .21 may be shifted through suitable lever mechanism 24 to bring the drive cone 2,0 thereof into engagement with either of the cones 1 9 or 19. The shafts 17 and 16 are connected by a chain and sprocket drive, generally indicated at 25.

The log turner comprises a pair of channel iron bars 26 having the channels thereof opposed and between these bars is secured a spacer preferably in the form of a wood block 27. This wood block is of less width than the channels of the bars 26 and is of greater thickness than the combined depths of these channels, so that in the assembly, a slot 28 is produced between the adjacent faces of the arms of the channel irons and slots 29 are produced between each arm of each channel iron and the wood block. At the upper end of the assembly bearings are provided for a roller 30 over which may pass a link chain 31, the side edges of which operate within the grooves 29. Certain of the links of this chain have dogging teeth 32 which extend through the slots .28 as the chain travels along the assembly. To the lower ends of the channel arm are secured blocks 33, each block 33 supporting a bearing 34 with which are engaged the ends of a shaft 35 having a central sprocket 36 about which the chain 31 may pass and at opposite sides of this sprocket gear wheels 37. To the outer face of each block 33 is secured the upper end of a plate 38, which plate closes the outer end of its associated bearing 84 and serves to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft 35 in one direction and further provides a pivot eye 39 for the passage of the shaft 16.

To the shaft 16 immediately inwardly of the plates 38 are secured disks 40 which align with the blocks To each side of each block is secured an arcuate clamping member or brake section 41 for engagement with the associated disk. The pair of brake elements 41 associated with each disk may be drawn together by a suitable adjusting element 42 toincrease the friction between these brake elements and the disk. Inwardly of the disks 40, the shaft 16 has secured thereto gears 43 which mesh with the gears 37 of the shaft 35. The stringers 13 have associated therewith a bumper block 44 with which the free end of the log turner 17 engages when in substantially horizontal position.

Assuming the log turner to be in horizontal position and a log which must be rotated to be in position upon the carriage, the operation is as follows: The operator shifts the shaft 21 to bring the cone 20 into engagement with the cone 19. This causes rotation of the shaft 16 in the direction of the arrow of Figure 3. The frictional engagement between the brake elements 41 and disks 40 causes the turning device to rotate with the shaft until the lugs of the chain contact with the log. Rotation of the complete log turning device is checked by the log and the chain starts its travel, moving longitudinally of the arm formed by the channel iron bars and by this movement successively presenting its lugs 32 to the log, with the result that the log is rotated. If the log fails to properly engage with the carriage, when delivered along the skidway, the log turning device can be used to position the same by the same operation, that is to say, the cone 20 is engaged with the cone 19 and the arm will swing until it comes into contact with the log. The chain will then start to operate, with the result that the log is caused to roll along the skidway until it comes into its position upon the bed. To return the arm to its horizontal position, the shaft 21 is shifted to bring the cone 20 into engagement with the cone 19*, thus reversing the direction of movement of the arm until it again comes to rest upon the bumping block. Attention is directed to the fact that there will be no movement of the chain until the swinging movement of the arm is completed and, therefore, since the log turning operation is a relatively short one, the wear caused by the frictional engagement between the disk and brake elements will be comparatively slight. During actual rotation of the arm, the arm, ears and pinion move as a unit. Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is obviously capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the iiivention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. In a log turning device for saw mills, a shaft, an arm pivoted to the shaft, a chain travelling along the arm and driven from the shaft and having dogs and a continuously operative connection between the arm and shaft whereby the arm moves with the shaft during rotation of the shaft until the arm encounters an obstruction.

2. In a log turning device for saw mills, a shaft, an arm pivoted to the shaft, a chain travelling along the arm and driven from the shaft and having dogs and coacting friction elements upon the arm and shaft constantly tending to rotate the arm in the di motion in which the shaft is turning.

3. In a log turner for saw mills, a shaft, an arm pivoted to the shaft, a continuously operative connection between the arm and shaft whereby the arm is oscillated when the shaft is rotated until it comes into engagement with an obstruction, a log turning device carried by the arm and means connecting the log turning device and shaft for operating the log turning device.

4. In a log turner for saw mills and in combination, a shaft, means for rotating the shaft in opposite directions, an arm including spaced channel side members, shafts carried by the arm at opposite ends thereof, a roller and a sprocket carried by said shafts, a chain passed about the roller and sprocket and having dogs, the end of the arm at which the sprocket is arranged having bearings rotatably receiving the first named shaft, a driving connection between the first named shaft and the sprocket bearing shaft, friction disks carried by the first named shaft and brake elements carried by the arm and frictionally engaging saiddisks.

5. In combination with a reciprocating bed of a saw mill and a skidway embodying spaced skids for delivering logs to said bed, a shaft paralleling the bed beneath the skidway, means for rotating the shaft in opposite directions, an arm pivoted upon the shaft, said arm being normally horizontally disposed and having its free end remote from the bed, a chain travelling along the arm and having dogs and a continuously operable connection between the arm and shaft whereby the arm rotates with the 'shaft during fill rotation of the shaft until the arm 8I1-' counters an obstruction and a driving connection between the chain and shaft.

6. In combination with a reciprocating bed of a saw mill and a skidway embodying spaced skids for delivering logs to said bed, a shaft paralleling the bed beneath the skidway, means for rotating the shaft in opposite directions, an arm pivoted upon the tation of the shaft until the arm encounters shaft, said arm being normally horizontally an obstruction and a, driving connection bedisposed and having its free end remote from tween the chain and shaft inoperable While 10 the bed, a chain travelling along the arm and the arm is rotating with the shaft.

5 having dogs and a continuously operable In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my connection between the arm and shaft WheI'esignature. by the arm rotates with the shaft during ro- ROIL M. PEAVER. 

